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I have a 7 month old and I have been having issues getting her to eat since she was about 3 months old. The problem isn’t constant. When it first started she would just push the nipple of the bottle out of her mouth with her tongue and the pediatrician said it might be a sign she was ready for solids. We started cereal at 4 months and baby food at 5 months. She will eat really good for 3 days (three 6 ounce bottles, and solids 2-3 times a day) them for about 3 or 4 days I will be lucky if I can get her to take 6-8 ounces total in 24 hours. Once I really start to get worried because she is having a decrease in wet diapers, she will pick back up and start eating a little better, and after a couple of day back to eating her normal. This is a cycle that runs constantly and when I ask the pediatrician says she is just teething, but she doesn’t have any teeth and I cannot feel any coming through. I am a pediatric nurse, so I am not completely clueless, but I just have never heard of a baby acting like this. Should I continue to worry about her or just forget about it and if she doesn’t eat just let her go about her day? Thank you

Dr. Trisha Naik on Being Mumma answers:

A 7 month old baby needs variations in her diet. You have to try different things throughout the day in small quantities. Don’t force the baby to eat but you can try frequently. As babies grow, they want to copy adults, so when you are feeding the baby, give her a small amount in a dish to play with and try it herself. A mother needs to be patient while feeding a baby as no baby remains hungry unless she is sick.